Baby seems ready for food at 4 months

[Apfelbunny]

Well, to be more accurate, the little monster has been interested in food since 2.5 months and lately at just over 3 months has a habit of lunging at food if anyone dares eat within sniffing distance!

I've read that so long as they can do a list of things then go for it. I've also read that before 6 months I shouldn't.

My intention was at 4 months to start introducing pureed fruit (fresh fruit that I do myself so I can gradually make it lumpier) and rusks (because I need an excuse to buy rusks, I love them)

The question is, if little one tries food but doesn't seem to like it, do I have to continue or is it OK to stop and try another time? (To me the obvious answer is to stop and try again later, but im a bit paranoid as the 3yr old waited til 6 months so it wasn't a problem and they were straight onto lumpy stuff)

Advice appreciated.

My DS loved banana and avocado sliced up. He hated puréed food too (didn't know about baby rice but this was 12 years ago).

Just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons - my baby girl is 18 weeks. i had planned on doing baby led weaning at 6months if she was ready. however for the past 2-3 weeks she has been eating les and less milk, just refusing it and has gone down to 1-2 oz per feed and still only feeding every 3-4 hours.
I spoke to my HV earlier this week and she suggested that maybe she was bored of milk, as some babies do, and to try weaning very slowly so to start introducing baby rice only- very runny - once a day and see how she gets on. i have to say, she LOVES it and would happily eat a lot more if i let her. However i am very conscious of her little digestive system so only giving her a palm size portion once a day and then after a few weeks will try mixing a bit of pureed fruit/veg into it for her to try some new flavours but still predominantly baby rice...... i would see what your HV advises. xx

"I'm not planning on giving anything that a baby can be allergic to, literally just fruit."

Actually, it is now recommended to introduce allergenic foods quite early--even before 6 months. See today's news about peanut allergies and the EAT study.

"2. They can co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at the food, pick it up and put it in their mouth, all by themselves."

Er, some babies wouldn't be able to do that until they are approaching a year. Should they have no food at all until that time, then?

Mary why do you think some babies wouldn't be able to pick up things till nearly 1 year old? That would mean they wouldn't be able to pick up and play with any toys either, which seems very unlikely unless the baby has additional needs.

Mary, some babies wouldn't have a pincer grip until that sort of age (so e.g. raisins wouldn't be a goer). But gripping things in their fist and bringing it to their mouth can happen much earlier. It's not tidy or efficient though!

Lots of fruits are common allergens

The latest advice is not before 6 mouths and is given by the WHO and NHS based on reasech which was mostly carried out in developed countries. Google leaky gut.

Babies are interested in anything you have. my DD took great interest in my wine, I was not going to share that.

Fruit and veg contain less calories so it will not help with sleeping. Babies go through a big sleep change at 4 months and it is normal for them to wake during the night.

Baby food is advertised from 4 months because it is illegal to do so an earlier.

I really struggle to understand why parents risk their child's long term health just because they want to give their baby food 8 weeks.

I should probably read up on allergens again, what I remember from last time is that I should avoid strawberries because of how they grow and that was about it.

I figure things like raspberry and melon are a good start - I think I avoided peaches and plums but not sure if it was because of allergens or because I can never get them tout ripen properly (I prefer them a bit under done but I know babies like them well done and there's a really small window between well done and over done)